As a Jewish university, YU often has to walk a fine line between upholding religious standards and infringing upon the normal college experience of its students. A textbook example of this balance can be seen with the rarely mentioned Stern College dress code. This code states that students must wear knee length dresses/skirts and shirts with sleeves. In a recent email to the student body, Dean Karen Bacon stressed the importance of this dress code, stating that “Unfortunately some students have become careless about observing these requirements. This carelessness is a violation of our regulations and is resulting in the erosion of the tradition of respect that has been the hallmark of our campus.”
While few students would deny the importance of upholding Jewish values on the Yeshiva University campuses, the extent to which the university can dictate these values is subject to question, a fact that has become increasingly clear in student reactions to the aforementioned email. Some students feel that it is not the place of the university to decide what constitutes religiously appropriate dress. In an interview with the Beacon, sophomore Mia Guttman stated that “It bothers me that the school feels they are able to mandate halacha [religious law]. I think that for the school to enforce a dress code that they consider “halachic” stunts our religious growth and that university is a time to explore oneself.”
As the Jewish world is increasingly split by debate on the nature of halacha, the question as to whether an institution can determine that nature for its students is certainly valid. Some Jewish groups would consider this dress code to be wildly excessive, while others would find it far too minimal. Furthermore, some students may achieve modesty outside the limits of the dress code, while others may far overreach the bounds of decent dress while remaining comfortably within the dress code strictures. At what point is a line drawn around the “correct” halacha?
On the other hand, some students feel that the presence of a dress code is vital to the status of the university as a Torah-observant community. In the words of sophomore Tikki Yudin, “I feel as though the dress code is important because we are a Jewish school, it is important to make known our stance on tznius [modesty].” Senior Leah Speyer agreed stating “Considering that Yeshiva University is based on Torah U’Madah principles, having a dress code is a given. In a setting where religion is the number one priority in terms of creating the environment of the school, a dress code is appropriate. I feel that people know what they are getting themselves into when they apply to Stern and chose to come to Stern and they need to understand that there are going to be certain rules that are not going to be found in any other colleges.”
While debate as to the appropriateness of the dress code continues, some students were surprised to discover that a dress code even exists. It is rarely enforced, rarely even mentioned, in the day-to-day life at Stern College.
The email sent by Dean Bacon does not mention any sort of penalty to be assigned to dress code infractions, nor does it call for increased attention from the teachers. It remains to be seen whether the students will amend their wardrobes to the standards of the school based on this email alone, and if they do so, whether modesty will result from those standards. Senior Leah Speyer sums it up, claiming that “Some students will get the email, laugh and ignore it while others may try to make a more conscious effort to be respectful towards their peers and professors. This doesn’t mean that they need to look like they just stepped out of Geula, but making a decision to not come to class looking like you’re about to go to a nightclub.”